Their Family
by Eilish92
Summary: Sequel to Her Secret, delving into Ruth and Jay's life as a family.
1. Chapter 1

**Their Family**

This is the sequel to Her Secret and again this has all be written in advance so it should be updated almost every day :) There has been a bit of jump in time between the ending of Her Secret and the start of this.

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Chapter One

What a year it had been, if anyone had placed a bet that Ruth and Jay would be Dr and Mr Faldren then I think the odd's would have been off the scale. Someone had finally brought the hyperactive man-child down to earth and someone had finally melted the frosty Dr Winters, the world must be going mad.

'So would you like to come and meet the little one?' Jay stood with a grin from ear to ear as he led Liam and his Nan in and introduced them his daughter  
'Come and meet Safia Ellen Maryam Faldren' The pair had been unable to agree on a middle name for the little one so decided to compromise and put a little bit of both of their families into this bundle of perfection.  
'Oh Jamshid she is beautiful, she looks just like you as a baby' Pride was beaming from the old woman as she looked at the latest edition to her family.  
'No Nan, that's all Ruth' He winked at his wife as they looked at the angel they had created.

Safia had her dad's tanned skin tone and gorgeous dark curls but had her mum's piercing blue eyes and soft features, which could entice anyone in with one look. She was perfection in both of their eye's.

'Hey, Liam do you want to hold your sister?' Ruth tried to encourage the you boy to interact with the baby, she knew that he had been through a lot lately but he was slowly starting to come out of his shell.  
'Can I? I won't hurt her or anything?' He had a mixture of panic and excitement in his voice, he wanted to be the best big brother to his little sister that he ever could and made a promise to himself to always be there for her, no matter what.  
'You are so like Ruth sometimes, I remember back when the mere thought of a baby would send shivers down her spine' Jay laughed as he gently passed the baby into Liam's waiting arms ever so carefully

After all the visitors had left, the doctor came into check on mother and baby to make sure that they were doing ok and Ruth couldn't resist asking what she had been dying to know for hours  
'When can we go home?' She had a hopefulness in her voice, she wanted nothing more than to take Safia back to her and Jay's new flat. They had decorated the nursery in a delicate pale pink with matching bed clothes. Ruth knew that Safia wouldn't be able sleep in there right away but she was eager to show her daughter her new home.  
'Is there someone who can pick you up Ms Faldren?' The doctor looked no older than Ruth but she was one of those doctors who didn't take an interest in their patients, if she had then she would have noticed the excited Jay jumping around the delivery room and also the fact that she has got Ruth's name wrong.  
'First of all, its Dr Faldren and to answer your question my husband has just popped home to pick up some stuff' Ruth tried her best not to sound angered but she hated when people got her name wrong  
'Apologies, well since you have someone at home then I can discharge you tonight, I shall sort out the paper work'  
The doctor walked out of the room at the same moment which Jay returned with what looked like some high tech contraption, which was actually the pram which they had bought, holding an over sized teddy bear and an equally huge grin on his face  
'How our my girls?' He walked over and lightly placed a kiss on both of their heads  
'Great we are going home' Ruth had a smile almost as big as Jay's until she noticed the bear 'Where did that bear come from?'  
'Oh I stopped by the ED to tell them our good news and generally gloat with some pictures of this little one and it was a gift from everyone. Hold on did you just say you were being discharged?' He looked worried, Safia was barely a day old and she was already being allowed into the world. His thoughts were interrupted by the jolly midwife entering the room with mass of paperwork in her arms  
'So, mum and baby are ready to go home? Now do we have a cute little going home outfit?' She was an older woman, who if Jay was honest, reminded him of a female version of Charlie.  
'Are you sure they are ready to come home so soon?'  
'Could this little mite be going to a safer home? She has a nurse and a doctor for parents, what more can we provide here?' She laughed slightly as she showed Ruth where to sign on the papers 'Right you are almost ready to leave, but not before I get a picture of this little angel in her first outfit for my wall'

Ruth carefully dressed Safia in the most gorgeous little pink dress with a matching hat and booties which she had paid a ridiculous price for from one of those designer baby stores. It had been an impulse buy which she couldn't resist.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Their Family**

Thank you to all who have read and commented on the last chapter :D

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Chapter Two

The first few days became a blur for Ruth and Jay. A mixture of nappies, bottles and middle of the night feeds. Ruth could not believe how draining looking after such a small person could be, she has pulled triple shift before and now she was contemplating which would be less exhausting. She decided that she would rather spend every second of her life with Safia.

'Hey baby' Jay snuck up behind her in the kitchen as she was heating the fourth bottle of the day 'why don't you let me do that and you can go and get some sleep? You look exhausted'  
'Oh thanks, do I really look that bad?' Ruth took the comment in the spirit that the comment was mean and her face cracked into a smile 'If I'm not awake in 2 hours get me up'  
'I'll take that as a yes then, is the Moses basket in the nursery already?'  
'Yeah, I was reading her a story although I'm not sure that she had a clue what I was saying' Ruth laughed as she made her way up the stairs.

As she got into bed, she could feel every worry of the last year melt away as she dosed off to sleep.

'Now come here angel, its dinner time' Jay lifted his daughter out of her Moses basket. The young girl suckled onto her bottle and began to drink the bottle quickly 'You like your food now don't you, just like your Daddy' As she finished up her bottle, Jay could see that Safia was nowhere near sleep. Jay placed her back into her Moses basket and left the room.

As he went out of the room, he could hear a small cry and did a u-turn back into the room  
'Come on now, I'll be 30 seconds max, just stay quiet, Mummy is asleep' Jay headed for the door once again and Safia remained quiet. Ruth would never believe this, she was already a Daddies girl.

Jay went down stairs again and into the spare room, he called it a spare room but it was really a room full of unopened boxes and the one item that Jay knew Safia would love.

He headed back upstairs, guitar in hand and into the nursery again. Safia was still lying silently in her basket, waiting patiently for him to return. He settled into the rocking chair which sat in the corner of the room with the Moses basket in front of it. He went ahead and started to play his guitar to a slow beat and in a soft tone started to sing to his baby.

'OK, don't tell your Mummy about this, it can be our secret'

_"When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change  
Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are  
And when you smile,  
The whole world stops and stairs for awhile  
Cause girl you're amazing  
Just the way you are"_

As he sung slowly to Safia, he could see her eyes get more heavy and he slowed down his voice

_"She's so beautiful  
And I tell her every day_

Oh you know, you know, you know  
I'd never ask you to change  
If perfect is what you're searching for  
Then just stay the same"

Ruth was awoken from her slumber to an unusual sound, she had to tare herself away from the bed to investigate, when she reached the hall she could hear a gentle singing voice from Safia's nursery. She peaked her head around the door and had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, the sight of Jay sitting in a pink rocking chair singing to their daughter.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Their Family**

Thank you to all who have read and commented on the last chapter :D Not sure how I'm going to top the cute factor from the last chapter, I just couldn't resist adding that song it just seemed so right...

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Chapter Three

Another day, another bottle' was the thought running through Ruth's mind as she stood in the kitchen making breakfast for Safia, Jay and Liam. She had become quite the domestic goddess, cooking and cleaning all day long. It was driving her mad.

'Hey, why don't I come and meet you after your shift? We can go to the park or something?' Ruth was desperate to get out of the house especially after watching Jeremy Kyle's Medical Special the previous day, she actually wanted to scream at the TV when it was on!  
'Yeah, I could call my Nan and we could go for dinner to save you cooking' Jay smirked as he said this and winked at Liam  
'I saw that! My food isn't that bad, I feel that I am improving every day' As she said this she placed burnt toast in front of Jay and Liam 'Well at least I'm trying' She quickly added before either of them had a chance to make a smart comment about it  
'I think my sister and her little one are going for dinner too so it can be a family thing' Jay smiled at the thought of all his favourite people in the one room 'At least there is finally another man there' He looked at Liam again and high fived him.  
'Ok, me and Safia will meet you at the ED and then Liam you can meet us at the park after football practice. I'll bring a change of clothes for you'  
'Emm, was that me or Jay?' Liam couldn't help but add to wind up Jay  
'Oh a funny man are you?' The pair started mucking around in the kitchen, much to Ruth's amusement  
'Come on now! Work, school! Go!' She tried to keep a straight face as she watched the pair still carry on as if they were 5 years old 'Me and Safia have a busy day planned, we have lots to do without you making more mess' She addressed that baby as she said this 'Come on, you tell your silly Daddy and brother to behave'  
'Oh no Ruth is setting Safia on us, we better run' Jay said this in an animated cartoon voice as both him and Liam went jogging towards the door with toast hanging out of their mouths.

'Well, as mummy was saying before I was rudely interrupted, we better get something nice for you to put on!' She smiled as she lifted the petite baby up and carried her upstairs and placed her in her Moses basket she pondered over an outfit.

Who knew clothes for someone so small could be so difficult? On the one hand she could put something practical on Safia and that would be the end of it but then she ran the risk of offending someone especially if she was taking her into the ED. They had received so many lovely gifts from their colleagues that Ruth didn't want to chose one dress over the others Then there was all the jumper and hats which Jay's Nan had knitted, she loved seeing her great-granddaughter in them.

In the end Ruth realised how ridiculous she was being and opted for a pink dress with a lemon ribbon, which was a gift from Zoe, with a pair of hand knitted white tights from Dixie and lemon booties from Tess. For good measure she added a lemon knitted hat from Jay's Nan and clipped the rattle which Jay's sister had given them.

After all of this nonsense over an outfit was over, Ruth spent the rest of her day sorting out the house and then settled at her desk with the latest copy of the British Medical Journal. She didn't want to fall behind even thought it was ages until she was back at work. Soon enough it was time to leave.

The youthful doctor was conscious of taking Safia into the ED before she had some of her jags, even thought the risk was minimal, but decided to go straight to the staffroom just to safe.

When she arrived, the ED was empty. No one was even sitting in the waiting room, this was an unusual sight to say the least! As they made their way through the corridors of the ED, Jay was nowhere to be found. Ruth settled herself in the staffroom with Safia and decided to wait here until he was finished.

'I'm sorry, you can't sit in here I'm afraid. The waiting room is this way' Ruth looked around her, wondering who the fresh faced girl was taking to 'Have you been seen yet?'  
'I'm sorry who are you?' Ruth had by this point realised that this girl was in fact speaking to her  
'I'm a doctor' The girls face lit up saying those words 'Dr Henderson'  
'Well, first off I'm not a patient. I'm Dr Faldren, I'm waiting for Jay. I take it your one of the new F2's?'  
'Is it that obvious? I'm sorry about the whole waiting room thing. I should have thought considering Jay has been taking about you two all day! Oh I'm Lucy by the way' She smiled at Ruth then poked her head straight into Safia's pram.  
'Nice to meet you Lucy, I'm Ruth! Oh don't even worry about, so is Jay around?' This whole situation felt slightly uncomfortable to Ruth, as much as she had got better at speaking to people, she still felt awkward talking to this girl.  
'I think they are in the car park, a major accident is coming in' Lucy responded with a solemn look on her face  
'Oh, are you not helping?' Ruth felt concerned and almost drawn to the scene  
'No, it's only my second day. I got told to take my break'  
'Never mind there will be plenty of other opportunities to get into Resus' Ruth wanted to reassure the girl but she still felt really uncomfortable, luckily for her the silence was broken by Adam coming into the staff room  
'Hi Ruth! How are you two?' He looked at Ruth in a way he had never looked at her before, almost as if he was seeing her as a different person  
'Yeah we are good, just waiting for Jay and getting to know Lucy'  
'Can I have a quick word actually?' Ruth ignored this statement as she assumed Adam was talking to Lucy 'Ruth, I mean you'  
'OK' Ruth stood up wearily and walked to the far corner of the room with Adam 'What's this about?'  
'I know I have no right asking this but Noel seen you coming in and we are a consultant down, you can probably see where I am going with this...'  
'I would love to get stuck in but there is no one to look after Safia'  
'Well Lucy can do that' He raised his voice 'Cant you Luc?'  
'Can I want?' She looked worried by what he was going to get her to do, she had just had one of the worst shifts in her life  
'Look after Safia, we are a consultant down and we can use all the help we can get and Dr Winters, is one of the best, sorry I mean Dr Faldren' Ruth felt as if she had grown by 2 foot when he said that but she was still not sure about leaving the baby with a stranger  
'I suppose I could, I have two little sisters so I'm used to babies'  
'OK, I'll get changed'

Jay got the shock of his life when he was greeted by Ruth fully scrubbed up waiting for the patient to arrive.  
'What have we got?' Her tone was back to Dr Faldren not mummy Ruth!

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Their Family**

Thank you to all who have read and commented on the last chapter :D I have to warn you, this is not my finest work, it's not great but I wanted to update asap! I am off on holiday tomorrow morning so this will be the last update for a week :)

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Chapter Four

'Jay, I said what have we got?' She had a soft yet demanding tone, wanting to know about her first patient in 2 months  
'Emm, yeah, sorry, this is Jess, a 15 year old female, suspected pneumothorax and 3 inch laceration on her left leg. Where is Safia?' He didn't want annoy Ruth but he was worried about his daughter  
'Don't worry, she is with the new F2, Lucy. Adam asked me if I would cover as you guys were a consultant short. Let's focus on work for now, what are her obs?'  
'BP is 140/90, oxygen stats are low...' She was really back to being a doctor, she didn't even let him finish his sentence  
'OK, take her to Resus and get a line in, I'll follow on!' She had already walked away to the next trolley which was being wheeled in 'What have you got Dixie?'  
'Oh hi Ruth, I didn't realise you were back so soon?' She was being more nosey than anything else but she decided she would push her luck  
'Hi, yeah I'm not back officially, just lending a hand. Thanks for the clothes for Safia, she looks so cute in the little tights' Ruth beamed with pride at the slightest mention of her daughter  
'Oh not to worry, Jay mentioned that you too were popping in today, I'll have a little hold later if you are still here when we get back. Anyway here we have Joel, a very shy, moody teenager with a bit of a temper. 16 years old, query fracture on right arm, won't talk I had to get his name from his girlfriend. Obs are good, where do you want him?'  
'Cubicles will be fine, take him through and ask someone where is free' Ruth went off towards cubicles followed by Dixie, Polly and the young boy. 'Number 3 is free, put him in there' Ruth smiled as she headed towards Resus, looking in the staffroom window to check on her daughter, who was sleeping peacefully whilst her babysitter studies a copy of Heat magazine!

'Why did you make them stuff for their baby? I thought you hated Ruth!' Polly had a hissing tone in her voice as she quizzed Dixie  
'I have never said that I hate her and I enjoy knitting. What difference does it make?'  
'Well, I'm only saying why go to the trouble for someone you dislike?'  
'Since when have you been little miss misery guts, a couple of hats for her baby doesn't make us best friends, anyway I have always liked Jay and Safia is his baby too. Now go tell Tess that we are placing this delightful young man in her care' Polly sulked off in a huff, she really didn't like Ruth. She had always like Jay and Ruth just walked around as if she was queen bee and Jay came running. She knew her and could have got together if it wasn't for her!

'Ok, how are we doing in here? Jay have you got a line in?'  
'Yeah, as soon as we are done in here I need to talk to you!' Jay had an angered look in his eye, he was not happy with Ruth for leaving Safia with a stranger. Anything could happen  
'She is fine, I checked on my way back from cubicles so stop worrying and focus on work! Can I have the usual bloods and a CT scan, see seems a bit confused. I'm worried she could be concussed' Jay felt slightly guilty for snapping and Ruth, she was a good mum and there was no way she would let anything happen to Safia so he did as she said.  
'I'll run these up to the lab now' Jay wanted the chance to sneak a peek at his daughter to make sure she is ok and taking the bloods was the only way to get out of Resus 'I'll be 5 minutes'  
'No, get a HCA, I need you here for now. I have to check on my other patients and she cannot be left alone'

As the number of patients been brought in drew to a close, the ED knew they were through the worst of the rush and that they could start returning to normal, which also mean Ruth could end her impromptu shift. She rushed in to the staffroom and took Safia straight out of her pram, not worrying about waking her she had missed her so much  
'I'm sorry baby' she soothed as the room was filled with her loud screams 'Mummy is here. Thank you Lucy, I think Adam wants to see you in his office' She smiled her as she left the room for another dressing down, her third in two days, she wasn't off to a great start 'Don't worry I don't think it's anything bad' Ruth added quickly then turned back to Safia as Jay came into the room.

'I'm sorry for snappy at you in Resus, I was just worried about this little one'  
'I didn't really want to leave her you know, Adam asked me and I didn't really want to say no. Anyway we better get to the park to meet Liam, he will be finished at football soon'  
'You know I think you amazing just the way you are don't you?' Ruth couldn't help but burst out laughing as she remembered Jay the other day, singing to Safia 'what is it?' He looked confused  
'No guitar this time?' Ruth laughed some more before pushing Safia's pram out of the staffroom with an embarrassed Jay following on.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Their Family**

Thank you to all who have read and commented on the last chapter :D

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Chapter Five

'Do you really think you are getting away that quickly you two?' Just as they were inches from the door Adam shouted them back, so everyone one could have a look at the baby Ruth had only just got back to sleep!  
'Yeah, sorry, emm, we..' Ruth was cut short of making her excuses by Adam again  
'Calm down Chuckled, God I haven't called you that in years, we just wanted a look at the little one before you head off' He began laughing at his own joke before looking at the sleeping baby 'Well I must say you have been very lucky here, Ruth, you could have ended up with another Jay on your hands' Charlie then interjected  
'The world could never handle two of him'  
'Oh Gramps, I heard that! I will have you know that I am a sensible father now' He could hardly keep a straight face as he said this  
'Is this the same sensible father who, just this morning, made a complete mess of my kitchen whilst mucking around with a 12 year old?' Ruth still had a smirk on her face from the staff room, but this turned into a full grin as she thought of how much her life had changed in the last year!  
' Oh well that's you told' Adam jeered in a playful way 'Now back to work for me! I will leave you lot to stare at the gorgeous Safia for a while longer and I will wish you too the best of luck with the nights feeds and lack of sleep' He laughed again to himself as he wandered away from the group  
'Yes, we better get going too, get to my Nan's' The pair said goodbye to their colleagues and headed to the park to make a whistle stop tour to pick up Liam.

When they arrived Ruth, Jay and Safia settled on a spot near the pond and waited for Liam to arrive, he was starting to pick up Jay's bad habits as he was running late. Ruth had made Jay rush all the way here for the fear of leaving Liam waiting too long.

'Are you sure you said you we would meet him here?' Ruth was getting impatient and cold after waiting for 15 minutes and still no sign  
'Well unless there is another pond in here, this is defiantly where we said'  
'Safia is getting cold, look at her cheeks, they are bright red' Jay wanted to take what Ruth was saying seriously but he couldn't help but smile at how much she had adapted to being a mum 'I'm glad you find out daughter freezing to death amusing'  
'I honestly don't' Jay stopped, opened up his jacket and placed Safia inside 'I was smiling at how much you have changed, in a good way. Not that you weren't perfect before' He felt the need to add in the last two parts so she didn't take offence  
'If I'm honest, I was thinking that myself earlier on, the kids have changed me so much. I am so grateful everything has turned out right in the end' Tears filled up in Ruth's eyes 'You know this time 3 years ago I was so low. I thought life wasn't worth living...' She would hardly finishing her sentence she was so choked up with tears as Jay wrapped his free are around her  
'You don't have to worry about that now, that is all in the past. No one should ever feel that alone and I never want you to feel like that again. I will always be here for you, no matter what.' He continued to hold her  
'You know when we were choosing a name for Safia, how you wanted something more traditional?' Jay nodded with a confused look on his face 'The reason I was pushing for Safia was because of its meaning. In Arabic, it means untroubled. I want nothing more that for her not have a care in the world, she is a sign of a new beginning, she had made me into a stronger person and I wanted her to have a strong name to match' She still had tears going down her face as she took the baby from Jay's arms 'My family is my whole life now, you, Safia and Liam'

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Their Family**

Thank you to all who have read and commented on the last chapter :D

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Chapter Six

Thirty minutes later and still no Liam, his phone was going to voicemail and Ruth was getting increasingly worried. She had called his school and he had left his football training with the other boys and seemed fine. There was no reason for him not to be here, unless Jonathan had got to him.

'What if something has happened?' Ruth's increasing panic was fully justified as, she more than anyone knew what her brother was capable of.  
'Maybe he forgot and went straight home?' Jay was trying to remain positive but was just as worried as Ruth, he felt responsible in some way 'I'll phone the home phone' He took out his phone and dialled the familiar number but it just rang out, no one was there.  
'I'm calling the police, this has got Jonathan written all over it, he would do anything to hurt me. He hates me for throwing him out last year' Ruth was getting more and more worked up and there was no stopping her 'This is all my fault, I should have made proper arraignments before he left or I should have picked him up, I should have done something. Maybe he was here but left because we were late, I never should have worked, then we would have been on time and we would be at your Nan's by now!'  
'Babe, this is not your fault. Why would Jonathan come back after all this time, he has no reason to? He should just stay calm for now and think where he could have gone. When we were walking this morning, we defiantly said that we would meet here at 5:30'  
'Well is 6:20 now!' Ruth could help but snap.

She felt as if she was on some sort of emotional rollercoaster, nothing in her life was simple. Right from when she was a little girl, she was always the one people were talking about. Nothing good ever happens to a Winter's, people would constantly put her down, assume she was bad because of her family. Even her school gave up hope on her when she got pregnant, believed that she was going to end up like everyone else on the Estate but she was different. She felt that she never deserved to be happy, something always stood in the way when things were going right.

'I can't do this, maybe he would be better off if he was run away! It's not as if I'm a good mother, I left him when he was a baby' Her anger turned to tears as he thought back to the day she handed him over to her aunt and never looked back  
'Ruth, this is not your fault. You are an amazing mum, anyone can see how much the kids mean to you! He will be fine, there will be a reason that he is not here. I better phone my Nan and tell her that we are running late' Ruth didn't even bother to respond to him, she hoped that he was right but nothing good ever happened to her, only disaster. 'Nan, its Jay. Yeah we are running a bit late, there has been a bit of a situation and Liam has gone missing' He paused for a second and had the most confused look ever on his face 'Are you being serious, when did he get there? Actually, it doesn't matter we are on our way' He hung up the phone and smiled at Ruth 'He is already at my Nan's, come on lets go'  
'Why on earth is he already there? I am going to go mad at him when I see him, let's go'

They made their way out of the park and Jay hailed down a taxi, Ruth was in no mood for walking now, she was so angry with Liam but equally relieved at the same time. The pair sat in silence for the sort journey each thinking about the last hour in the park. Jay was most concerned now with Ruth, she seemed so emotional when she was talking about her past, he never really wanted to push the topic of her suicide attempt but it was something he always wanted her to open up about. He could see the change in her from the first day he met her to now, she was almost a different person. Jay would be the first to admit that it was not love at first sight between them, he could never understand her. Now he cannot believe how similar they are, as much as they behave in different ways the inner turmoil is the same. Neither had stable parents but they both had different ways of coping, Jay chose to be the guy everyone likes and Ruth chose not to form any bonds in case she got hurt again but somehow they both managed to open up to each other and Jay was so grateful for that.

As the taxi pulled up Jay took hold of Ruth and pulled her in for a kiss, just to show her how much he cared.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Their Family**

Thank you to all who have read and commented on the last chapter :D

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Chapter Seven

The relieve on Ruth's face when she saw Liam was overwhelming, as fuming as she was with him she could not have been happier to see him.

'You have no idea how much I was worried! Never do that again'  
'I'm sorry but you guys weren't at the park and I was cold so I thought I was best to come here. I left a message on the answer machine'  
'You knew I was going out, why didn't you phone my phone. It doesn't matter now I'm just glad that you are ok' She pulled her son into an embrace and just held him for a moment.  
'I tried to phone you but some woman answered and said you were working then my phone ran out of battery. You shouldn't have been so worried I'm fine mum!' This startled Ruth, he had never called her that, it was always Ruth. She was that surprised by what he had just said, she ignored that someone had answered her phone, it must have been Lucy. No wonder Adam didn't want her treating patients when she couldn't even pass on a message, it was irreverent now, she was just happy Liam was starting to accept her.  
'Liam, you just call me mum, are you sure you are comfortable with that?' As proud as this made her, she wanted to make sure he was ok with it.  
'Well you are my mum after all. Is Safia awake? I wanted to play with her' He smiled at Ruth  
'I think she is awake, take her into the living room and put her on her play mat, I'm just going into the kitchen'

'Hi Mrs Faldren..' Ruth was cut off by Jay's Nan  
'How many times dear, Nan is fine. Now where is my beautiful granddaughter?'  
'She is in the living room with Liam playing, he is so good with her'  
'Oh right, I'll leave them too it. He is such a lovely young man, I have to say no wonder you too were panicking about him going missing. I remember when Jay was about 9 years old...' She was interrupted by Jay  
'Please don't Nan, it's embarrassing'  
'Jamshid, don't be so rude. Now as I was saying he was about 9 and we went to the shopping centre and he was by my side one minute and gone the next, I almost had a heart attack. It turns out he had snuck off after seeing some girl he liked the look off! Luckily an announcement was made after the girls mum took him to the information desk and I got him back' As much as she tried, Ruth could not control her laughter at the thought of Jay waiting to be collected  
'I honestly cannot believe you just told that story, it was not the girl I was following, I liked the look of her ice-cream and you wouldn't let me have one! Anywhere where is Ellie?'  
'Don't try and change the subject Jamshid, what is it with you kids and shortening your names, you know how much I dislike it'  
'Fine where is Elham? Happy now?' Jay hated it when his Nan treated him like a child, she often forgot that he was 28 years old.  
'Don't you take that tone with me, you are not too old for a clip round the ear. She is giving Chloe a bath. She was filthy after school, she shouldn't be long. So anyway Ruth, how has Safia been, is she sleeping ok?'  
'Yeah she has been OK, she has her jags next week which I doubt will be fun, it has to be done though.'  
'If you ever need a break, all you have to do is call me, I am more than willing to watch either of the kids. It must be hard for you going from being at work to being at home.'  
'That is very kind of you, thanks. I was at work today and ended up treating people so it was good to get back out there but if I'm honest I spent most of the time worrying about Safia'  
'Well the offer is there dear. Jamshid why don't you go and chase up your sister she has been up there for ages, she was only cleaning some paint off the little one after nursery'  
'I'm sure she's fine. You know what Chlo is like, loves her baths'  
'Go now before I go mad at you! Your name is Jamshid not Jay, your sister is Elham not Ellie and its Chloe not Chlo. Is that really difficult? I don't mind when you are out of the house but when you are under my roof, use your proper names'  
'Yes Nan' Jay walked out of the kitchen muttering to himself but not daring to answer back, he had too much respect for his Nan to argue with her.

As he reached the top of the stairs he could hear crying coming from the bathroom and he knew that it was not his niece.

'Ellie, are you OK? What's up?' He was concerned for his sister but knew that it would just be another one of her drama's, that's what she was good at.  
'LEAVE ME ALONE JAY' This was the reaction that he was partly expecting, he stood on this same spot several times before trying to coax his sister out of the bathroom when they were teenagers  
'Where is Chlo? Is she in there too?' He was met with silence 'Come on Ellie, it can't be that bad'  
'She is in the bedroom playing, Jay please just leave me. I'll be downstairs soon, just tell Nan Chloe soaked me with water'  
'I'm taking Chlo down then I'm coming back to find out what's up! If you don't tell me I will bring reinforcements, and you know who I mean'  
'Jay please, I'm fine just forget it' He knew that there was no arguing with her when she was in a mood like this.

His sister had always been the one who took their parents leaving much harder than him, she was actually really similar to Ruth. She never liked to accept help from anyone, she would much rather battle on alone than speak to anyone. This gave Jay an idea. He collected his playing niece and took her to the living room with Liam and Safia join in their game of peak-a-boo!

'Ruth, I can't find Safia's dummy can you help me?'  
'It's in the side pouch of the changing bag, where it always is'  
'It's not there, can you have a look?' Jay was now jerking his head towards the hall trying to signal Ruth to come and speak to him, this did not go unnoticed by his Nan  
'What on earth are you doing with your head? And where is your sister?'  
'I'm noting doing anything and Chloe is in the living room playing'  
'I saw you jerk your head like some sort of possessed maniac and I never asked where Chloe is I asked where your sister is, what's going on?' His Nan was one perceptive old woman, she could always tell when something is going on, they never got away with anything as children.  
'Chloe was splashing in the bath and soaked her clothes, she is just getting changed now. Ruth, Safia's dummy, it's not in the bag'  
'OK, I'll get it myself, I defiantly put it in the bag'

As the pair went into the hall, Jay lowered the tone of his voice and began whispering  
'I need a favour'  
'Why are you whispering? And here is the dummy right where I said it was'  
'Yeah I knew it was there, my sister has locked herself in the bathroom and won't come out can you try and get her out please, my Nan won't be suspicious of you being upstairs'  
'Jay, I don't know her very well, if she won't speak to you why will she speak to me?'  
'She can relate to you, you guys are actually really similar, please Ruth'  
'Fine, but you are doing the night feeds tonight' Ruth winked at him before trying to head up to try and negotiate with Elham to get her out of the bathroom.  
'Deal, now I must say Mrs Faldren that was a cheeky wink' He leaned close to her face and whispered straight into her ear 'I still love saying that you know'  
'And I love hearing it' She kissed him deeply before walking away upstairs leaving him standing there in awe, unfortunately for him this moment was interrupted with the sound of Safia crying.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Their Family**

Thank you to all who have read and commented on the last chapter :D I should be doing revision but decided I needed a well earned break to update, enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Eight

Ruth really wasn't the comforting sort, if she was honest it just made her uncomfortable. She knew she had to try with Ellie not just for Jay's sake but also because she had become quite fond of his family and saw them as her family too.

'Hi Ellie, it Ruth. Jay sent me up here, is everything ok?' As much as she tried to sound sympathetic she just sounded annoyed, the complete opposite of how she felt 'I know it's none of my business but Jay is worried about you'

Ruth heard a sort of banging sound then the bathroom door slowly open, she took this as an invitation to go in. As she entered the small room she saw Jay's sister perched on the edge of the bath, with a blotching face from the tears and makeup running down her face. The young doctor knew that this was not a time for words but to simply hold Ellie. They sat for at least 5 minutes before Elham finally spoke

'Thank you, I know you have been through a lot yourself without my drama. I am so glad Jay had found someone and settled down'  
'Me too, he is the best thing that ever happened to me. So are you going to tell me what's up with you or are we just going to sit here?' The pair had grown close during the planning of the wedding, Ruth was glad of any help she could get although she never really got to know her personally  
'It's nothing, I'm just being silly.'  
'Come on, if you are this upset it cannot be nothing'  
'I always get upset around Chloe's birthday, I just wish things had been different with me and her dad. I always said that I when I had a child that I wanted to be married and have the big house, you know all the usual things. Don't get me wrong, I love her to pieces and I wouldn't change her for the world but I can't help but feel bad that her dad isn't around. I grew up without my dad and I was always jealous of my friends, I don't want her to have that' Emotions had once again take hold off the young girl and she was crying for a second time.  
'You are a great mum to her, I understand that you want the best for her but I don't think she could be much happier. Jay told me about her dad and if I'm honest you are both better off without him!' Ruth remembered back to when she had asked Jay about Chloe's dad not long after she met his family, he had tried his best to shield Ruth from it, know how much it would affect her but had given in and told her one night. Chloe's dad was an abusive alcoholic who was determined to not only ruin his life but Elham's too. 'Anyone who is going to treat you in such a way does not deserve you know his daughter'  
'I know that you are right but I should never have been so stupid to get involved with him, Chloe deserves better. He sent her a birthday card yesterday, from prison. He said he wants to see her, that can't ever happen'  
'If you don't want him to get in touch with you or Chloe again you can contact the prison service and tell them that, you do not have to ever hear from him again if you don't want to'  
'Can I do that? I'm not over reacting'  
'Yes you can if that's what you want and you are defiantly not overreacting. So why did you know what Jay or your Nan to know what's going on?' Ruth understood where her fears were coming from, she knows what it was like to live with someone abusive and she would have given anything to have been protected from her father's taunts and outbursts  
'My Nan said that she never wanted to hear his name ever mentioned again in her house and that he was bad news, she would have understood but I don't want to bother her with my mess. As for Jay he always gets into trouble in situations like this. After I left Aaron for the last time, Jay went round there and he was beaten to a pulp, I'm not having that again. I know you are probably going to tell him what this is about and I get that but please wait until you have left and keep him calm. We had better get back downstairs, Nan will be going mad!' She managed to put a small but appreciative smile on her face.  
'Don' worry about him just now, I can deal with that later. Now let's get you sorted, you might want to get changed as Jay told your Nan that Chloe soaked you in the bath and you are now changing' She handed Ellie a tissue and stood up 'You know you can always talk to me if you want'  
'Thanks for this, I'll be down soon'

As Ruth made her way back down to join the other, who were now sitting hungrily at the kitchen table, but somehow Jay mad an excuse to go and speak to Ruth in the hall

'What happened? Is she ok?' He was deeply concerned for his sister  
'I'll speak to you later, she will be down...' Her sentence was interrupted by a lively Elham running down the stairs  
'Looks like I'm right on cue, thanks again Ruth' His sister appeared with a full face of makeup covering every blotch and mark on her face with a change of clothes on 'I'm fine Jay, so let's eat' The two woman smiled at each other as Jay looked on bewildered, he felt as if they were now outnumbering him  
'I think I should be worried about this new alliance' He laughed before kissing him  
'Don't worry Jay I'm sure you will always be her favourite Faldren'

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Their Family**

Thank you to all who have read and commented on the last chapter :D

* * *

Chapter Nine

After dinner and several cups of coffee Ruth and Jay headed home with the kids. It had been a stressful day for Ruth and she was once again exhausted but she couldn't head to bed, Jay was still waiting for an explanation with regard to his sister.

'I'm going to go and play my x-box for a while, do you want to play Jay?' Liam was oblivious to the tension in the air between Ruth and Jay as he was anxious to find out what was going on, he hated being out of the loop  
'Me and Jay have got some stuff to do just now but he might be up later, do you not have any homework which needs to be done?' Ruth knew what he was like when it came to homework, always done the night before  
'Nothing due tomorrow but some stuff for next week so it can wait'  
'Not so fast, homework for an hour then you can play' Liam went off upstairs in a sulk whilst Safia lay in her pram in the living room 'I should really get her to bed, she...'  
'She is fine where she is, so what's going on with Ellie. I am going out of my mind here'  
'OK, you have to first of all promise that you will keep calm and also know that she is fine now'  
'Fine whatever, now what's up with her?' Jay was getting more inpatient by the second, he hated her being upset and now Ruth was worrying him  
'She got a letter the other day for Chloe, it was a birthday card from her dad...' Ruth was cut off again by Jay, his face had changed and he had anger in his eyes  
'I'M GOING TO KILL HIM, I WARNED HIM TO STAY...' As his voice got louder he was interjected by the sound of Safia waling, his voice had startled her  
'Jay, for God sake, sit down and let me explain! She got the card yesterday but that was not what she was upset about, she was upset with herself for ever getting involved with him. She blames herself for the fact that Chloe is going to grow up without a father, like she did. Jay, she doesn't want you to get angry about this, it won't solve anything. Tomorrow she is going to get in touch with the prison informing them that she wishes to receive no more contact from him. Jay the last thing she needs if for you to go round there all guns blazing, it will only upset her more. Trust me I know'  
'Why didn't she tell me?'  
'I think I just answered that, she didn't want to make a big deal out of it and she didn't want you getting yourself into trouble after what he did to you last time'  
'She told you about that as well? I know I shouldn't get angry but I can't help it'  
'I know that but its sorted now, she knows that if she ever needs to talk then I am here. Jay I know this is difficult for you to take a step back but I understand how she feels, when my dad or brother get in touch with me I want the world to swallow me up. It's the worst feeling in the world but she is dealing with it'  
'Thanks for helping her, I can't help but fly off the handle when it comes to him, I just remember the state she was in after he hurt her, I couldn't bear to see that again. She is my baby sister and it's my job to protect her from sc*m like him'  
'I get that this is difficult for you, why don't you take Safia up to bed and we can open a bottle of wine and relax?'  
'Yeah sounds good, I'll be down in 5 minutes'

As Jay left Ruth's phone buzzed with a new message from Elham;  
_Fancy a coffee tomorrow in town with the kids? Ellie x_

She text back right away agreeing to the meet and arraigning a time and place. Ruth felt almost proud that she was someone who Ellie could turn to, she had never really had many friends before so this felt good. She carried on getting the wine opened and setting out the glasses and awaited Jay's return.

'I have some bad news for you, LIAM isn't doing his homework, he is playing Grand Theft Auto'  
'Oh let's just leave him, one night can't hurt. Besides I have wanted to do this all night' She took his hand and pulled him onto the sofa before kissing him with great passion  
'Wait a minute' Jay stopped and felt underneath his back 'What the...' His and surfaced holding swabsticks 'Why do we have these on the sofa?' Ruth simply laughed before throwing them to one side and said simply  
'I have no idea'

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

Chapter Nineteen

Did he really think that Jay didn't love him? He had tried his best to make him part of the family, treated him like his own child or so Ruth thought. Those little words about Jay being worried about her and Safia were so poignant to her, she felt like she had failed Liam.

'You do realise that Jay loves you as if you were his own son? He would do anything for, just like Safia' She had to address the issue as soon as possible as she had no idea how long Liam had been repressing feelings like this  
'Come on Ruth we both know that's not true and I understand that. He has only known me for a few months and so have you come to think of it' His words were spoken so simply but Ruth knew that he must be feeling rejected  
'Liam, from the moment you were born I have thought about you every single day, everything I have done in life has been for you. When I gave you to Ellen it was so you would have a better life and so I could make something of myself so when we did meet again that you could see why. I get that you might feel rejected or like an outsider but I really wish you could have came to me , or Jay' Her eyes were welling up with tears and she knew what she had to do  
'It's not that simple Ruth, you have been hiding away in your room since we were at my school last week, I heard what Mr Grey said to you and I heard who my father is' He dipped his head in shame, revealing that he had knew who his father was a huge shock to Ruth, she pulled him into an embrace  
'I never wanted you to have to find that out Liam, and I'm so sorry that you did. As for me being in my room so much, I have been feeling a little under the weather lately'  
'I get why you gave me to my Mum now, it sort of made things make more sense' For such a young boy, he spoke so much sense  
'That isn't why I did it, it was honestly because Ellen would always be able to give you a better life that I could only ever have dreamt of, she was a fantastic mum to you, something which I will never forget' Both their faces dropped for a moment, to remember the woman who had such an effect on both of their lives, Ruth had so much to thank Ellen for but she would never get the chance now 'Come one we have somewhere to be' Ruth stated suddenly  
'Where are we going?' Liam asked, almost worried, wondering why the previous conversation had been brought to such an abrupt halt  
'You and Safia need me, I can't be lying around in bed all day feeling sorry for myself, that's not who I am'  
'But where are we going?' His words were becoming more aggravated when she wouldn't answer his question  
'I have a doctor's appointment and if we hurry I should just about make it and then after that we are heading home and you, me and Jay are going to sit down and talk just the three of us and work out the best way forward for you. I think it would help you feel like a bigger part of the family, which you are, if we spent time actually talking about Ellen and how things used to be and incorporating some of that into our home now' Liam nodded along with this, liking the idea of his two lives merging together.

The rushed out of the dingy cafe and luckily there was a taxi driving past, which Ruth hailed as she checked her watch, 4:15pm, she had 15 minutes to sort herself out.  
'Hi, Holby East Medical Practice please as fast as you can!' She instructed the driver who complied obediently and speed along the familiar streets as Ruth and Liam sat in silence and Safia somehow managed to sleep through the bumpy journey. They arrived at the surgery with 5 minutes to spare thanks to the drivers speedy yet erratic driving. As they walked into the practice, Jay's black Fiat Punto pulled into the car park without them noticing.

'Hi I have an appointment at 4:30pm, the name is Dr Ruth Faldren'  
'Ok, it's a locum doctor who you will be seeing today so it should be too long to wait if you would just like to take a seat' Doing as instructed they took a seat, with enough space for Safia's pram to sit without getting in the way.  
'Liam would you mid sitting here with her whilst I go in, she shouldn't waken up but if she does just...' She stopped herself and laughed 'I don't need to tell you what to do with her, you always know how to soothe her' He smiled at the complement and felt a swell of pride inside him in the fact that he had been entrusted with Safia  
'Dr Faldren, the doctor is ready for you now, second door on the right' The receptionist smiles at her warmly whilst cooing at Safia in her pram 'Would you like me to keep an eye on the little one for you?' She almost looked hopefully at Ruth who simply shook her head and stated  
'Thank you but there is no need, my son is more than capable'

As she walked towards the ever looming door, part of her wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction but she knew she couldn't do that. Her sole reason for being here right now was for her kids, they are her everything and she had to make sure she could be the best mother possible to them and she knew that she had to address her problems once and for all. She approached the door and opened it slowly as the doctor sat slumped over his desk looking at his computer, for a few moments Ruth didn't recognise him.

Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Jay really did not get why he had to spend his only day off for weeks wandering around a shop looking for god knows what, its times like this he wished that he had not bunked off his woodwork lessons when he was at school.

'Excuse me mate, I'm looking for superglue' He was bored of wandering around and not finding what he needed so he decided to ask an older man wearing one of the bright orange aprons  
'Well that would really depend what type of superglue you are looking for. If it general No More Nails stuff that you are looking for that's in aisle 14 but if it for an environment with moister you will need something from the bathroom range which is aisle 42 and if it's for...' He was cut off by Jay, he really didn't want the life story of glue, just directions  
'Thanks mate, aisle 14 will do' The old man was not over pleased with Jay's reaction, it was almost as if he was looking for someone to talk to.

After reaching the desired location, Jay encountered another hurdle, why on earth are there so many different types of glue. All he wanted was something which would do whatever Ruth wanted it to. Maybe he would be easier if he just went and got a new mobile and stuck some cardboard under the wobbly leg.

He decided this was the best plan, minimum effort with the job done, he left the shop empty handed and drove to the closest Mothercare and couldn't help but pick up more than just a mobile and left with bags full of new stuff for his daughter and headed home.

The house was silent when he returned, there was no sound of either Ruth or Safia. Ruth and the baby were still napping which gave Jay some time to set to work. He hated doing work in the house but this was different. He loved the chance to have his own secret mission to make Ruth smile. She would probably be a little mad that he wasn't actually going to fix anything but he was hoping to distract her with the new stuff he had bought.

'Hey babe, you awake yet?' He had heard her moving around the bed  
'Emmm, if I pretend not to be can I stay here?' She looked at him with sleepy eyes  
'I would say you could stay in bed all day but apparently that isn't allowed' He joked with her but he could see that she was exhausted, she needed a break 'I'm just messing around, you stay there and I'll go and get you a cup of tea'  
'Thanks Jay' She smiled up at him and pulled to cover back up over herself and allowed herself to snuggle into the pillow

Her peace was shattered within a few moments as the sound of Safia's cry filled the room at the very same moment Jay came back with two cups of tea and a packet of digestives.

'Hey don't you move a muscle, I've got this' He put the cups down and left the room again and came back with a green cuddly toy in tow. He leaned in over the basket and dangled the green toy over her 'Look what Daddy got for you? Do you like it?' She gurgled back at him happily  
'Is that a frog?' Ruth could barely control herself laughing  
'What's wrong with frogs? I had a pet frog when I was younger, Kermit, Nan went mad when she found it in a box under my bed one day.' He had a sad look upon his face which Ruth was instantly suspicious of  
'You are joking aren't you?'  
'Well maybe I over emphasised a little bit but come on how cute is this little guy?' He started to tease the stuffed animal in her face  
'How could you not love me Ruth?' Jay put on a silly voice pretending that the frog was speaking to her 'Now drink you tea'

Any stranger looking in on this family picture would never guess the troubled past which either of these two have led.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

* * *

Chapter Twelve

After a while of lying in bed and generally lounging around the house Ruth got up and investigated around the house at the lack of Jay's work.  
'Did you seriously not get the stuff that I asked you too?'  
'I tried babe but B&Q didn't have any glue so I thought I would treat Safia instead, it's a dad's job to spoil his daughter' He looked at her cheekily hoping that she wouldn't question him  
'Do you really expect me to believe that? I doubt that they had nothing left'  
'Well they had a few but they didn't look right. How cute is this new mobile?'  
'Don't change the subject, what about the bathroom cabinet?'  
'I didn't need glue to fix that. Follow me' He led her through to the bathroom and vigorously shook the cabinet 'Didn't move an inch' He was laughing slightly but he could see her distaste  
'Please tell me that is not cardboard holding that up. Jay...' She began laughing silently at his poor attempt, tears began to form in her eyes from laughing, it was only a bathroom table  
'Hey it's ok, I'll get it fixed properly don't get upset about it' He went to hug her, slightly confused as to why she was crying, this made her laugh more but no longer silently  
'Jay I'm crying from laughing. You are mad sometimes'  
'What? How can you laugh at my DIY skills?' He didn't want an answer to that so he changed the subject quickly 'Come on you go and watch some TV and I'll go and check on Safia'  
'She is fast asleep, I have the monitor' Ruth lifted up the small device which Jay had previously wanted to use as walkie-talkies. They made their way downstairs and settled in front of the TV whilst Safia was napping again, she took after her dad and wanted to sleep all day and up all night.

'What do you want to watch?' Ruth enquired  
'I'm not bothered, you choose'  
'How about some news, it seems like ages since I have seen an adults on TV who are not animated' The laughed together at the thought of Nick Junior's colourful programs. As the changed channels the saw a news bulletin with breaking new  
'Look at that, 8 BBC script writers have been kidnapped' Jay read out with a slight shock in his voice 'Police think it's something to do with their storyline'  
'I know that's a strange one, it's thought that frogs were sent in as a distraction and swabsticks were used to remove them from the office'  
'The things some people will do for TV, it's astonishing really don't you think?'  
'I know I suppose I can see their point, there is nothing worse than the frustration of watching a TV program and not being able to change the outcome. Good on them for taking back TV' Jay laughed at Ruth's logic, sometimes she over thought stuff  
'If you say so, I'm going to make a cup of tea, do you want a cup of coffee?'  
'How much tea can one person drink? You will turn into a cup of tea one of these days' Ruth laughed at the image of Jay with a handle and spout before coming back to reality 'But I wouldn't mind a coffee'  
'Be right back' He smiled at her, with a look in his eye which made her suspicious  
'What was the look for?' Ruth asked as he left the room  
'Nothing' He answered sweetly like a child who had been sneaking chocolate from the kitchen cupboard  
'Why does that not settle me any? I know that look, what are you planning' She looked at him through narrow eyes trying to suss out what he was doing  
'I wouldn't come in the kitchen if I were you' The look his eye had been him suddenly remembering that he hadn't bothered to put the stuff which he bought Safia away  
'You do realise that I'm defiantly going to come in now' She opened the door and looked around and her eyes landed straight on the kitchen table, where Jay had abandoned the bags 'What is all of that?'  
'Just a few things I picked up. Some of this stuff is so cute' He began rummaging in the bags until he pulled out an orange bodysuit with a hood and tail 'Look, she can be like Tigger from Winnie The Pooh in this'  
'Jay she has draws full of clothes, you do realise that she will grow out of half of this stuff before she has the chance to wear it? Why don't you change some of it for a bigger size? And yes she will look adorable in that'

Ruth loved how much Jay had adapted to fatherhood so quickly, he was a total natural parent with not just Safia but also Liam. She couldn't have asked for a better husband.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

* * *

Chapter Thirteen 

Liam came through the door with a solemn look upon his face when he returned home from school a little later than normal, without the football he left with in the morning.  
'Hey, Liam good day...?' Ruth was about the ask him about his day when she realised that something was wrong 'What wrong?' She adopted an affectionate mothering tone as she spoke in a bit to get him to open up  
'It's not fair, I never did anything wrong' Ruth looked worried by such a statement yet tried to encourage him to continue  
'What's not fair? What happened at school?' Almost like magic, the phone rang containing all the answers.

Jay came bouncing into the kitchen, phone in hand and Safia in his arm  
'Ruth, phone for you, it's Liam school' Ruth's face dropped, she really hoped that this was all a misunderstanding  
'Ok thanks Jay, Liam why don't you go and get changed' She took the phone as Liam walked out the room followed by Jay and Safia  
'Hello Dr Ruth Faldren speaking' She had a polite yet stern tone to her voice 'Yes I am Liam Winter's mother, how may I help you?' Jay was trying to listen outside the door to find out what was going on but he could only hear occasional words so he decided to track Liam down from upstairs, worried about what was going on. As he approached his room he cautiously knock and wait politely to be allowed in, he had always hated it when his Nan barged in on him.

'Come in Jay' Liam answered already knowing who it was  
'Thanks, how did you know it was me and not Ruth?' He looked puzzled  
'Considering I can still hear Ruth on the phone it was unlikely to be her now was it?'  
'So are you going to tell me why the school are phoning home about you?'  
'Look, I honestly swear that it wasn't me' He looked at Jay hoping that he wouldn't have to tell the full story  
'I'm going to be honest with you here mate, I was your age once and nothing was ever my fault' He stopped for a moment to laugh 'So come on what's going on?'  
'OK well me and some of the guys were having a bit of a kick around in the playground whilst we waited on one of my friends girlfriends and well, the football sort of hit against the headmasters car and smashed his windscreen in' By the look on Liam's face, you would have thought that he had murdered someone, Jay was doing his best to hold back the laughter but he knew he had to be serious here.  
'So why is it you who is getting the blame and not the others as well?' Jay enquired  
'Because it was my ball, I don't really know who kicked it but after it happened we all ran, forgetting that the ball had LW drawn all over it'

From Liam's bedroom, they could both hear Ruth's voice getting louder and louder as she got more angry with the headmaster, so they decided to go down and see what was going on. As the approached they could see the anger in Ruth's face.  
'I will have you know that my son is not some vandal who goes around smashing in windscreens for fun.' The was a pause and then it was like some sort of switch had been flipped and suddenly Ruth's face was red with anger 'Well, I will be at the school in 10 minutes with Liam and I suppose that you will not be going anywhere in a hurry and I would like an explanation as to why it is only my son who appears to taking the brunt of the blame, although I am sure you have a valid reason for this. I shall see you shortly Mr Gray' With that she hung up the phone and proceeded to grab her coat and then finally enlightened the other as to what just happened  
'That man is one of the most rude, arrogant, horrible people I have had the misfortune to deal with, come on Liam, I am going to sort this out with him now' Liam did as he was told and put his coat on  
'Do you not want me to come with you?' Jay asked, worried for his wife and also slightly worried for the headmaster, as he knew full well what it was like to have a full dressing down from Ruth.  
'I'm sorry about all of this but there is no way that he is getting to blame Liam, there is talk of excluding him, I may not know what fully happened yet but Liam said he didn't do it therefore I believe him. You are best to stay here with Safia, she will need fed soon anyway' She kissed both Jay and Safia before rushing out of the door with Liam right by her side.

Jay admired how much Ruth was willing to stick up for Liam, even when she wasn't fully sure what had happened, she took his side and believed him right away. This just showed him how much of a good mother she was.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy so please leave one to let me know what you think! I should probably warn people that this is going to get quite dark and may become difficult for some to read.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen 

During the short walk to the school, Ruth questioned Liam with regard to what had actually happened and how his ball ended up in the headmaster's car, via the windscreen. As he when over the same story that he had told Jay, she became more annoyed.  
'Why on earth are you the only one who is getting blamed? Surely he must have known that you would have been playing with others' There was an obvious anger in her voice but this was not aimed at him but at Mr Grey, who would soon know it.  
'Because it was my ball' He looked at the floor as he answered her, thinking that he was going to be in trouble as well.  
'Don't worry I will sort this out' She smiled at him and pulled him into a hug 'I might even ask for your ball back' they both burst out laughing, both thinking how well that would go down.

Soon they were in the car park and Ruth could see the damage which had been cause and was slightly surprised as she hadn't expected the whole windscreen to have smashed into hundreds of tiny pieces all over the car park, play ground and the interior of his car. As they entered the school, Ruth remembered the familiar corridors which she had once walked as a pupil here herself. This school was out with the Farmead catchment area but after Jonathan had got himself excluded on too many times they were both asked to leave and had to make the 30 minute journey here every morning. At one point in her life, she had actually quite enjoyed the walks with her brother, it meant that they got to leave the house earlier and return home later which was always a bonus in her eyes.

She hadn't been too keen when she had discovered that Liam attended this school but she didn't want to unsettle him after all that had happened recently, he seemed happy enough here until today but she was soon going to have that sorted out.

'Hello, I have an appointment with Mr Grey. Dr Faldren, Liam Winter's mother' She informed the school secretary who did not seem best please to have been interrupted from her work.  
'Please take a seat, I will inform him that you have arrived' She picked up her phone, muttered something briefly and shot Ruth a sympathetic smile, as if Ruth was the mother of a troubled child, dragged into the heads office every other week!

After waiting around 5 minutes there were finally some sounds of footsteps approaching them and Ruth got the shock of her life when she discovered that it was the same headmaster from when she had been here many years previously. She had recognised the name but had just assumed that as Grey was such a popular name that it was someone else, turns out not to be the case.

'Good evening, would you care to follow me to my office' He lead them towards the spacious room and as they took a seat, Ruth prayed that he wouldn't remember her or her family 'Now I think we all know why we are here, don't we?' He looked directly at Liam before turning his stare to Ruth  
'Yes we do, I can only apologise for the damage to your car Mr Grey however why is Liam being held solely responsible for the incident?'  
'Well considered it was his ball and that he was seen running away from where it happened then I am almost 100% sure that he had an involvement in the damage Mrs Faldren' He smiled at her in a strange way, she could tell that he had suddenly made the connection  
'Its Doctor actually, Dr Faldren' As much as it irritated her when people got her name wrong, she always got satisfaction out of correcting them 'I am not doubting Liam's involvement however why is he the only person being held accountable?'  
'For the fact that I did not see any of the others involved therefore I cannot blame the unidentified can I? Now may I ask you a question Dr Faldren?'  
'I believe you just did Mr Grey but please continue' She was doing her best to match his smarmy tone  
'Are you a former pupil of this school? Previously Ruth Winters, brother of Jonathan Winters'  
'Yes I am however I have since married and go by the name of Faldren now can we return to the issue of Liam. I am not satisfied that he should be held accountable for something which was not fully his fault therefore he will not be the person blamed'  
'Suddenly this whole thing makes sense, this young man is a Winters, how could he not get himself into trouble, you did, your brother did and you both managed to drag others down with you' He snarled at her as he jeered her about things which she had put in the past.  
'Not that it is any of your business but I am nothing like my brother and neither is my son, you cannot tar him with the same brush due to surname' Anger was increasingly building inside her, she did not want Liam to hear about her past, she didn't want anybody to know what had happened to her as a teenager.  
'I remember you now during your school years, you spent most of your time with that good for nothing brother of yours as none of the girls wanted to be around you, mostly because their parents did not want them around the pregnant girl, assuming you must be troubled. Which of course you were and you and your brother singled handily managed to turning the reputation of this school' He looked at her with disgust as if she was nothing, the way she was treated as a child  
'Liam, wait outside please' She instructed him simply, he was not going to hear anymore of Ruth's awful past as much as she wanted to get it all out in the open. 'I don't know who you think you are but I believe you are forgetting a key detail in that' Her eyes welled up with tears 'One of your members of staff was selling drugs to my brother, the same teacher who raped me in exchange for my brothers drug debt. I will be taking the matters of today up with the school board, as well of the car matter. My son will not be your scapegoat he will take his fair share of the blame but no more.'

With that she got up and walked out of the office, out of the school and the whole way home without uttering a single word to Liam, who was still in shock at what had just happened.

'You will be staying off school tomorrow until this is all sorted out' she said simply, still in shock herself at what had happened 'There is no need to mention all of this to Jay either, he will just worry' Liam nodded in agreement, know that now was not the time to ask about what had happened.

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	15. Chapter 15

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) I should probably warn people that this is going to get quite dark and may become difficult for some to read.

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Chapter Fifteen 

They spent the rest of the night in silence, as much as Jay tried to ask what had happened at the school she wouldn't answer him. Ruth had a sombre look in her eyes, even when she was holding Safia they weren't lighting up like they usually do. It pained Jay to see her like this, she had never been the best at opening up but since Safia had came along they had slowly became each other's rock, not keeping anything from the other, no more secrets. He could tell that she was hiding something, it was as if she had retorted back to the Ruth he had known a few years ago.

After a few days of Ruth sitting around the house, barely speaking Jay knew that he had to do something. It was as if she had lost her fire.

'Hey babe, do you fancy dinner out somewhere nice tonight? The kids can go to my Nan's' Jay used his chirpiest voice but she barely looked up at him or acknowledged him  
'No' That was her only response, no explanation or anything just a simple two letter word  
'Ruth, what's up with you? Since you came back from the school with Liam something has changed in you, you're not yourself' Once again nothing in return, she didn't even look away from the TV at him 'Can you at least look at me?' As he reached over to touch her shoulder, she recoiled away and jumped off the sofa.  
'I'm going to have a lie down on top of the bed' With that she was out of the room, leaving Jay sitting with tears forming in his eyes, he had no idea what to do. He tried and tried to get her to open up but it simply did not make sense to him. He thought that he would try and get some answers out of Liam. As he made his way to Liam's bedroom he could hear Ruth sobbing into her pillow in the bedroom, this was the final straw for him, he wanted to know what was wrong with her!

'Hey mate, you busy?' Liam was sitting at his desk typing away on his computer  
'Not really just Facebook, fancy a game of FIFA?'  
'Not right now, listen I need to talk to you about something' Liam instantly looked worried  
'Have I done something wrong?'  
'No it's about Ruth, I mean what happened with you headmaster. I'm not sure if you noticed this but she has been different the last few days, not herself since she came back from the school. I was just wondering what happened at the school?' Liam had a look of panic in him, of course he had notice the change in Ruth but he had to make a decision of whether he should remain loyal to Ruth, and stick to what she said, or tell Jay the truth?  
'Ruth told me not to talk about it because you would only just worry'  
'Ok, I have to be honest mate, that makes me worry more. I sure that Ruth would want me to know if something was up'  
'I suppose so but she did tell me not to' Jay didn't want to get angry with Liam but he hated that he knew something which could potentially help him.  
'Please mate, just tell me!'  
'Ok, well Mr Grey, my headmaster, seemed to already know Ruth and Uncle Jonathan from when they were kids and Ruth didn't like him mentioning it. They sort of had an argument and she told me to wait outside but I could still hear what was being said...' He drifted off back to his computer, replying to a message  
'What was being said Liam?' Jay asked bluntly  
'About Uncle Jonathan's drug debt to a teacher and how he...' He didn't really know what to say, he knew that it wasn't his place to be revealing this to Jay, who could see his discomfort  
'Hey it's ok, I know the rest. Thanks for that, it's a big help' He smiled at Liam and knew he had to be the strong one for both Ruth and Liam for a while so tried to remain as light hearted as possible 'Oh and don't think I haven't seen your relationship status, I want to know all about this girlfriend of your over some FIFA later' He joked as he left the room.

Once on the landing on their two story flat, his face crumbled. He knew that Jonathan had given is younger sister to a drug dealer but she had never said that this drug dealer was her teacher, no wonder she was so upset.

Suddenly Jay was left wondering if he was the best person to be attempting to deal with this, maybe she should see her doctor, especially with her history.

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	16. Chapter 16

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

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Chapter Sixteen 

Days went past and there was still no improvement in her mood, she had been like this for over a week now. No matter how much Jay tried to talking to her she was still insisting that there was nothing wrong, that she was completely fine but he knew different. She was even acting differently towards Safia, wanting to stay in bed all day, not getting up to settle her during the night. He was doing it all and was slowly becoming exhausted, not that he resented it for a moment. This morning when he woke up, he was drained both physically and mentally but knew he had to carry on. He decided though that he couldn't go to work today, as much as he knew that Ruth loved Safia, he couldn't take the chance of her falling asleep and not hearing their babies cries.

'Morning Tess, its Jay. I was wondering if I could ask a favour' He had a hint of desperation in his voice as he made his request 'Is there any way I could book in for a holiday day today? ... I know its short notice but Ruth isn't too well and we don't want Safia to catch it what with her not having had some of her jags yet' He lied through his teeth, hoping that Tess would buy is story 'You are a life saver Tess, I'll speak to you later, thanks bye'

He knew that Ruth's problems would take more than a day to sort out but at least he was sorted for today and could sort out tomorrow when it come, his thoughts were soon interrupted by Ruth though.

'Why did you say to Tess that I was ill?' She sounded angry yet emotionless  
'Because I thought you could do with a hand around here today, you haven't been yourself babe' He knew that she wasn't going to be happy about his being around all day but he didn't care  
'I am more than capable of looking after my own baby Jay' Short and snapped seemed to be the preferred tone of choice for the day  
'I didn't say you couldn't look after her but is there any harm in me being her to give you a hand for a day or so?' He looked at her, trying to hide his upset. Suddenly her mood changed and she started shouting at him  
'I FEEL SUFFOCATED JAY, CAN'T I JUST HAVE SOME SPACE' He instantly backed away from her and realised something  
'Babe, I don't want you to feel like that, I want you to know that I'm here for you' As he was speaking he was running everything which had been going on with her through his head: tiredness, low mood, tearfulness, lack of interest in Safia, these was all screaming one thing to him  
'I don't think I can do this anymore' This was a hard blow for him but he realised what he had to do, whether she liked it or not  
'I think you need to go and see your GP Ruth, you aren't going to like what I'm about to say but please hear me out'  
'I do not need to waste a doctors time when there is nothing wrong with me' With that she stormed out of the bedroom and he heard her run downstairs, he knew that there was little point in following her so he chose to do something which she would probably resent him for and pulled out his mobile again.

'Hi there, I would like to make an appointment for my wife please... As soon as possible... Today at 4pm would be fine... Mrs Ruth Faldren... Yes that's her... OK thanks bye'

Doctors appointment made, now he had 8 hours to convince her to go, which was going to be easier said than done.

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	17. Chapter 17

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

* * *

Chapter Seventeen 

**8 Hours**  
He still hadn't even plucked up the courage to even go and speak to her, he was worried about how she would react. Ruth wasn't one to be told what to do especially when it came to her health, she assumed that as she was a doctor she would always know when something was wrong and that there would never be any need to go and consult someone else. This would be his first hurdle for him to get over.

**7 hours 15 minutes**  
He still hadn't moved from the sofa and he was yet to hear Ruth move from the bed upstairs, he knew that the longer he waited the less time he had to actually convince her. He got up of the sofa, walked into the kitchen and put a bottle for Safia in the microwave, she would be waking up soon so it was better to be prepared and flicked the kettle on to make him and Ruth a cup of tea. Life's healer according to his Nan.

He made his way upstairs, juggling the three drinks and a packet of digestives, as he approached the bedroom door he could see that she was still lying curled in a ball, but not asleep. He popped the tea and biscuits onto the side board in the hall and crept into check on Safia who was still sound asleep. By the time she woke up the bottle would be at the perfect temperature Jay decided, leaving it in her room.

He made his way into the large bedroom which he shared with Ruth and found his way on to their king sized bed and offered the tea to her.

'Did you have a good little nap?' He enquired, knowing full well that as much as she claimed to be tired she would never sleep  
'Yes, fine' Short and snappy again  
'Good, Safia should be awake soon too, I have already heated her bottle so it's just sitting waiting on her' He tired to joke with her but she wasn't playing along 'do you want to go and feed her when she wakes?'  
'Well you took a day off work just to baby sit me all day so you might as well do what you stayed home to do' she spat, almost nastily  
'Ruth, babe, I was only trying to help you. I know how much work she is so is it really that bad that I want to help? I like taking care of you too' He was looking at her seriously  
'Whatever. You are just trying to undermine me again, make out that I'm a bad mother to my kids' She almost sounded paranoid to Jay  
'I am doing no such thing. Ruth I only want to help you, that why I have done something which I don't think you are going to like but bear in mind that it's because I love you'  
'What have you done?' She looked at him and seemed terrified  
'Look don't be mad but I have made an appointment for you with your GP' He couldn't look her in the eye, he just had to keep on telling himself that he had done the right thing. He was met with silence, she just sat there still.  
'Why would I need to see a doctor Jay? There is nothing wrong with me' She was almost whispering at him  
'I think that you might be suffering with post natal depression, the way you have been acting Ruth, you haven't been yourself' He was pleading with her with his eyes, willing her to agree  
'AND WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW?' She suddenly started shouting 'YOU ARE JUST A NURSE YOU ONLY DO WHAT DOCTORS TELL YOU' She couldn't help but twist the knife in further by adding 'A DOCTOR LIKE ME!' Before he had a chance to response, Safia had starting to cry from the shouting  
'I'll be back in a minute, I need to see to her unless you want to do it?' He offered, choosing to ignore what had just been said  
'Just go Jay, I cannot be trusted with her can I? Not with me being depressed' She added bitterly.

So off he went to see to his daughter, comforting her and soothing her. He couldn't believe how much she looked like Ruth, those eyes were identical to Ruth's, deep and blue.

**6 Hours**  
Jay had decided to stay in Safia's room for a while, just holding her as she drifted off to sleep. At the same time he drifted off two, the pair sat in the land of nod in the rocking chair.

**4 Hours 45**  
He awoke sharply, not realising where he was. When he was met with a sea of pink, he realised quickly and remembered what he was doing there. He and Safia were having a short nap but then he suddenly noticed that she was no longer resting in his arms.

He panicked when she wasn't in her crib or basket or anywhere else in the room. He got up and assumed that Ruth had found them asleep and taken Safia into their room.

He walked around the house looking for them but they weren't here, neither was Safia's pram or bag. Ruth had taken her.

**3 hours**  
He had tried calling and calling he phone but there was no answer. It was ringing for a few moments then going to voicemail, he left a message each time.

'Ruth, babe, please call me back when you get this. I'm worried about you. I love you'

She never replied to any of them. He wanted to go out and look for them but he didn't know where to start, she didn't really have anywhere to go. Most of their friends were work friends, who Ruth would never turn to. She didn't have any family to turn to, her whole family was in this house.

**1 hour**  
He couldn't sit still anymore, Liam hadn't came home when he should have been, he wasn't answering his phone either. Jay had called the school, just to make sure that he hadn't been kept behind again but he hadn't. He had left on time apparently seen with a woman and a buggy, he was with Ruth.

**30 minutes**  
He still couldn't find her, she can't have gone far in such a short space of time, part of him wanted to believe that she had just left to go to the doctor but wanted to go alone. Deep down inside he knew that this was just too good to be true, she wasn't think straight, but where else would she have gone with Safia and Liam in tow. Typical Ruth, at the first sign of trouble she ran but this time was different, she had nowhere to go and she was ill. As he drove around the streets, there was no sight of them, he decided to go back to the house and see if she had been there.

**4:30pm**  
He decided to take a drive to the doctors to see if she had done the right thing and turned up for the appointment. He was hoping that she may have gone, even just to prove him wrong!

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	18. Chapter 18

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

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Chapter Eighteen 

As she walked along the pavement with a buggy and teenager in toe she has absolutely no idea where she was going or even why she had left. Her phone must have had about 100 missed calls and even more text messages but she just didn't know what to say in reply. He was only worried about her and cared for her yet she almost resented that. She settled down in a cafe and ordered a black coffee for herself and a cola for Liam while Safia slept peacefully. Liam appeared to be engrossed in a game on PSP so this gave her a chance to think for a few moments.

At a tender young age she had learned to look after herself the hard way. Her father was drunk most of the time, her mother had killed herself and the brother which she had once looked up to so much was leading a life filled with petty crime, she had no choice but to separate herself from this otherwise she too would start to lead a delinquent path in life. In some ways it could be said that she was more like her family than she liked to believe.

Aside from the similar features she shared with her mother, the pair were very alike in personality too. At once stage in her life Kathleen Winters had aspired to be someone, she wanted to make a better life for herself, fuelled by her passion for her creative streak, she had always aspired to be an artist or a designer. Her life had been filled with happy times with her friends and family until she had met a charming young man in a bar one night. Little did she know that a mere few months later she would be living in squalor in a cramped one bedroom flat, with a baby on the way and an abusive husband. From those days on her dreams had been quashed and she slowly became a shell of a person until she couldn't take it anymore and chose to end it all. Ruth believed that she shared her mother's passion to succeed and also her inability to handle failure. At times she believed that her mother's death had been her and Jonathan's fault, as if they hadn't come along then maybe she would have became the person she had always dreamed of being and would still be alive now. This was a weight which the troubled young medic had always carried on her shoulders.

During her life she had done all she could to deny any similarities with her abusive, addict father but this had not been the case, they qualities which the shared however were not something to brag about. Her father, Robert Winters, had had a similar start to life as her but adopted to conform with what was expected of him and he dismissed any opportunity which life gave him. When he was 19 years old he met the woman who's life he subsequently went onto ruin but this had not been his intentions. After they married he lost his job in a factory which resulted in him spending more time in the pub, leading to alcoholism and ultimately ruining the only person who he had ever truly loved life. On his wedding day he had promised his beautiful wife the world and resented the fact that he was never able to provide it, he felt like a failure and he detested the fact that Kathleen was willing to go to the extreme of killing herself just to get away from him. One of the similarities which Ruth loathed the most was the venom which seemed to run coldly through both of their veins. The way they could shoot a person down with a single sentence was always something which she had despised, she didn't want to act this way towards people but she just couldn't help it. Another was the addictive nature which they both shared. Although her father's was a dependency on alcohol, hers was an addiction to work and to success, this was something which was always going to be chasing her until she dealt with it.

When she was a child, he big brother was her idol, when their father had lashed out at their mother again, he would always make sure that she was ok, take her out of the small flat where they lived or hide her under the bed when he was so full of anger that one beating was not enough. Ruth had also blamed herself most of her life for her brother's life of crime as he was always having to look after her, no wonder it became too much for him and he looked for a few hours of solus and peace. When things were really bad at home he had often stepped in and taken a beating for her, taking the blame when she had broken something, just to save her. In some ways its thanks to him that she is where she is now. If it hadn't been for him going into shops and stealing milk or bread when her father had sent her to do it, she probably would have ended up on the same path as him. The likeness in personality when they were kids was uncanny, they were rarely separated from one another. He could have became a successful businessman or something like that if he had wanted, he shared the determined nature which both Ruth and her mother did but he lacked the ability to break away from the lure of their fathers grasp.

Her peace was soon shattered when Liam realised that nothing had been said for almost 20 minutes

'Mum are you ok? You seem really quiet, when are we going home?' He observed  
'I'm fine, we are not going home' She said robotically  
'Then where are we going?' Ruth looked at him with a saddened look upon her face and then at Safia  
'I honestly don't know yet, Liam, just drink your juice whilst I think' He looked at her with wide eyes  
'Jay will be worried about you and Safia' He stated so simply, Ruth noticed that he didn't include himself in that sentence which completely broke her heart.

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	19. Chapter 19

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

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Chapter Nineteen

Did he really think that Jay didn't love him? He had tried his best to make him part of the family, treated him like his own child or so Ruth thought. Those little words about Jay being worried about her and Safia were so poignant to her, she felt like she had failed Liam.

'You do realise that Jay loves you as if you were his own son? He would do anything for, just like Safia' She had to address the issue as soon as possible as she had no idea how long Liam had been repressing feelings like this  
'Come on Ruth we both know that's not true and I understand that. He has only known me for a few months and so have you come to think of it' His words were spoken so simply but Ruth knew that he must be feeling rejected  
'Liam, from the moment you were born I have thought about you every single day, everything I have done in life has been for you. When I gave you to Ellen it was so you would have a better life and so I could make something of myself so when we did meet again that you could see why. I get that you might feel rejected or like an outsider but I really wish you could have came to me , or Jay' Her eyes were welling up with tears and she knew what she had to do  
'It's not that simple Ruth, you have been hiding away in your room since we were at my school last week, I heard what Mr Grey said to you and I heard who my father is' He dipped his head in shame, revealing that he had knew who his father was a huge shock to Ruth, she pulled him into an embrace  
'I never wanted you to have to find that out Liam, and I'm so sorry that you did. As for me being in my room so much, I have been feeling a little under the weather lately'  
'I get why you gave me to my Mum now, it sort of made things make more sense' For such a young boy, he spoke so much sense  
'That isn't why I did it, it was honestly because Ellen would always be able to give you a better life that I could only ever have dreamt of, she was a fantastic mum to you, something which I will never forget' Both their faces dropped for a moment, to remember the woman who had such an effect on both of their lives, Ruth had so much to thank Ellen for but she would never get the chance now 'Come one we have somewhere to be' Ruth stated suddenly  
'Where are we going?' Liam asked, almost worried, wondering why the previous conversation had been brought to such an abrupt halt  
'You and Safia need me, I can't be lying around in bed all day feeling sorry for myself, that's not who I am'  
'But where are we going?' His words were becoming more aggravated when she wouldn't answer his question  
'I have a doctor's appointment and if we hurry I should just about make it and then after that we are heading home and you, me and Jay are going to sit down and talk just the three of us and work out the best way forward for you. I think it would help you feel like a bigger part of the family, which you are, if we spent time actually talking about Ellen and how things used to be and incorporating some of that into our home now' Liam nodded along with this, liking the idea of his two lives merging together.

The rushed out of the dingy cafe and luckily there was a taxi driving past, which Ruth hailed as she checked her watch, 4:15pm, she had 15 minutes to sort herself out.  
'Hi, Holby East Medical Practice please as fast as you can!' She instructed the driver who complied obediently and speed along the familiar streets as Ruth and Liam sat in silence and Safia somehow managed to sleep through the bumpy journey. They arrived at the surgery with 5 minutes to spare thanks to the drivers speedy yet erratic driving. As they walked into the practice, Jay's black Fiat Punto pulled into the car park without them noticing.

'Hi I have an appointment at 4:30pm, the name is Dr Ruth Faldren'  
'Ok, it's a locum doctor who you will be seeing today so it should be too long to wait if you would just like to take a seat' Doing as instructed they took a seat, with enough space for Safia's pram to sit without getting in the way.  
'Liam would you mid sitting here with her whilst I go in, she shouldn't waken up but if she does just...' She stopped herself and laughed 'I don't need to tell you what to do with her, you always know how to soothe her' He smiled at the complement and felt a swell of pride inside him in the fact that he had been entrusted with Safia  
'Dr Faldren, the doctor is ready for you now, second door on the right' The receptionist smiles at her warmly whilst cooing at Safia in her pram 'Would you like me to keep an eye on the little one for you?' She almost looked hopefully at Ruth who simply shook her head and stated  
'Thank you but there is no need, my son is more than capable'

As she walked towards the ever looming door, part of her wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction but she knew she couldn't do that. Her sole reason for being here right now was for her kids, they are her everything and she had to make sure she could be the best mother possible to them and she knew that she had to address her problems once and for all. She approached the door and opened it slowly as the doctor sat slumped over his desk looking at his computer, for a few moments Ruth didn't recognise him.

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	20. Chapter 20

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

* * *

Chapter Twenty

Oh God Toby? You have got to be kidding me' She laughed at she sat down  
'Hey Ruth, how are you? What are you doing here?' He smiled at her slightly confused, he had never been the sharpest knife in the box  
'Well I was meant to see my GP but apparently it was a locum which I am assuming is you?' As glad as she was to see a familiar face, how could she talk about her problems with Toby  
'Yeah I'm here for some last minute cover, something about a nasty incident with a set of stairs or so I'm told. I totally should have twigged with the name but I didn't really think' He smiled at her and then realised that there must be a reason for her being here 'So what can I do for you today?'  
'Emmm... Well...' She really didn't want to have to speak to him about what was going on with her, speaking to a stranger in some ways would have been easier  
'Don't look so worried Ruth, I am not as bad as I was in the ED, I actually know what I am doing now' He began to laugh at the exact same time she burst into tears. That was one part of his job which he was still trying to find a way to cope with, tears had never been his strong point!  
'Oh come on Ruth' He gently placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to comfort her 'You can talk to me'  
'I...I... I just...don't...know...what's...wrong...with...me' That was all she managed to say in between sobs as Toby passed her a tissue and sat patiently  
'It's ok to cry, your body must still be all over the place after the baby' She looked at up at him, wondering if it was that obvious  
'Jay thinks I have post natal depression' She almost whispered this as quickly as she could, as if it was a sign of defeat to admit this  
'And what do you think? How have you been feeling?' His questions were posed softly as calmly, with no judgement in his tone  
'I honestly don't know anymore' She tried to avoid eye contact with him, ashamed almost of what she was saying  
'Ruth this is completely normal, having a baby can be a stressful thing for someone. Are you still taking your anti-depressants?' He enquired looking at his computer  
'No I stopped them about 14 months ago. I just want to feel better Toby, I just want to be myself again'  
'Ok how about we start by talking about what exactly you have been feeling, huh, does that sound ok?' He was trying to be as soothing as possible without sounding too patronising  
'Well I have been so tired recently but I haven't been able to sleep when I lie down, I just lie there awake for hours' Toby nodded along with her encouraging her to continue 'And I have been really emotional lately, as you seen' Her face went scarlet with that admission 'I had just stopped caring what is going on around me, I feel like such a failure' Her eyes continued to release small tear drops even though the sobbing had stopped  
'And when did these feeling start?' Toby appeared to have adopted a more professional persona and it was obvious that he was working through a train of thought, each stop being another symptom until he arrived at the final destination, his diagnosis  
'A week or so, maybe longer, I'm not entirely sure'  
'Did anything happen around that time to trigger anything like this?' Ruth's face fell, her altercation with Liam's headmaster, the memories speeding back to her like she was being hit by a lorry 'What happened Ruth?' He enquired further, her face was telling him that there was something more going on.  
'I.. it doesn't matter, all that matters is that I know that there is something wrong with me' She didn't want to tell Toby what had had happened to her all those years ago, as professional as he was being, there was only so much she was willing to say and the fact that she had said so much was a major breakthrough for her  
'Ruth all I want to do is help you and you know I cannot do that if you don't tell me what is wrong' He looked at her sympathetically yet seriously  
'I know that but how would you like it if it was the other way round?' She questioned in typical Ruth style  
'This isn't about me Ruth, it's about you and how you are. If I am honest I believe that Jay is right, that you are suffering from post natal depression and I want to help you in the best way possible' Ruth was almost surprised at how upfront he had just been with her, he had really developed from the bumbling doctor who left the ED a couple of years ago  
'Last week some stuff from my past came up which knocked me off course and I think that's what triggered this'  
'And these issues from your past, have these ever been addressed professionally?'  
'No' She really wanted to avoid getting into more detail than necessary with him but at the same time she knew the more she shared the more likely she is to get treatment  
'Ok well, I can sense that you don't want to talk to me about this so I believe that the best course of action for you would be for me to refer you for some interpersonal counselling which should help you to focus on addressing your past and present relationships and also to prescribe you an SSRI to help control your feelings, how does that sound?' Ruth was relieved that she didn't have to address the matters with him and that he was going to help her  
'That sounds fine, I trust your judgement' Toby almost grew two inches when she said that, earning the trust of Dr Winters/Faldren was a major feat. He handed her the prescription which she immediately checked as well as a referral form and a couple of leaflets  
'Don't chuck them back at me' He laughed knowing he too well 'Doctors always make the worst patients, there may be some stuff in there which could be helpful' She nodded along with him and then thanked him again 'Oh and Ruth, don't be a stranger, I still haven't met the little one. You, Jay and the kids should come over to me and Ben's for dinner soon'  
'I would really like that, I'll text you and thanks Tobe's I really grateful'

She was proud of herself for making the first step but she also knew she had a long way to go until she was back to her old self. At this moment though her heart dropped, her mind flew back to Jay, who she had been so awful to earlier on today. She decided to walk home quickly stopping at the pharmacy on the way, to then thank him for making her see that there was something wrong. She approached Liam and Safia who were in the exact same position as she had left them

'Hey, did she not waken up them?' She asked in her most chirpy voice  
'No she slept the whole time, are you ok now?' Liam asked worriedly  
'Yes, nothing for you to worry about, it's my job to worry about you' She smiled at him as they started to walk out of the surgery.

Jay couldn't believe his eyes with what he saw emerging, at first he wasn't sure it was actually them but it was, she had actually went to the doctors. He quickly got out of the car and run towards them

'You have no idea how worried I have been about you three! What happened to you earlier on today?' He said his whole sentence in around two seconds barely stopping for air before pulling both Ruth and Liam in a hug  
'I am so sorry, I shouldn't have disappeared like that but you were right and I am getting the help that I need now. Can we talk about this when we get home?'  
'Of course, come on the car his just here'

As the loaded themselves into the small family car, Jay couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	21. Chapter 21

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy!

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Chapter Twenty-One 

They slowly travelled home in silence, no one daring to utter a word for the fear of the worries of the last few hours could come spilling out. Jay drove home cautiously and felt like he had almost avoided a hundred collisions, he was sure if it was him or the roads that were the problem, he thought it was the silence, they barely went anywhere as a four but when they did there was usually lots of noise and commotion.

'Shall I put the radio on?' Jay offered and was met by silence which he took to mean yes and on came Wasted Hours by Arcade Fire. A fitting song Jay felt after all the time which he had just spent searching and worrying about Ruth and the kids when she had in fact gone to do what he had asked of her, quite ironic actually the more he thought about.

_All those wasted hours we used to know_  
_Spent the summer staring out the window_  
_The wind it takes you where it wants to go_

_First they built the road, then they built the town_  
_That's why we're still driving round and round_  
_And all we see_  
_Are kids in buses longing to be free_

_Wasted hours, before we knew_  
_Where to go, and what to do_  
_Wasted hours, that you made new_  
_And turned into_  
_A life that we can live_

_Some cities make you lose your head_  
_Endless suburbs stretched out thin and dead_  
_And what was that line you said_  
_Wishing you were anywhere but here_  
_You watch the life you're living disappear_  
_And now I see_  
_We're still kids in buses longing to be free_

_Wasted hours, before we knew_  
_Where to go, and what to do_  
_Wasted hours, that you made new_  
_And turned into_  
_A life that we can live_

Jay could feel himself drifting into a deep thought as the car veered off onto the right hand side of the road, Ruth grabbed the wheel as he realised what had just happened

'JAY! WHAT THE HELL? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED' Ruth screamed out of panic, he pulled over to the side of the road unable to say anything unsure of how it just happened  
'Oh God, is everyone ok?' He asked over Safia's bawls, he hadn't hit anything but he came pretty damn close and the slamming of the breaks cannot have been good for any of them, he could feel it in his own neck.  
'I think we are all ok' Ruth said as she got out of her seat and opened Safia's door to comfort her  
'Is she ok? She didn't get hurt did she?' He panic with the loud screeches which were failing to ease off  
'I think she just got a little fright didn't you baby' She soothed 'Liam are you ok, you look as white as a ghost?' He just looked at her terrified with a blank stare before nodding 'Are you sure, you don't look fine' Before he could answer he flung open his door and jumped out and his breathing became laboured.

'Jay, take Safia just now!' Ruth instructed as she rushed to Liam's side attempting to comfort him 'Just take nice big deep breaths for me, in and out' She demonstrated to him and encouraged him to follow suit. Jay stood there with Safia still howling in his arms before he sprung into action and raced to the boot to grab the spare medical kit which Ruth had always insisted in keeping in there for emergencies. He took out her stethoscope as well as a small breathing bag which was in there and took them to Ruth. As she examined him, her face remained in a panic, she didn't understand how he could be in such a bad way, as she listened to his breathing she almost sighed with relief.  
'OK Liam, listen to me, you are having a small panic attack, it's nothing to worry about so just you keep breathing deeply for me' She encouraged him 'Now come on let's get you sat down in the car' She attempted to lead him back to the now empty car but he was refusing, shaking his head frantically 'Ok, ok we don't have to get back in yet, let's sit on the kerb instead' She suggested, trying to reason with him.

After around 10 minutes his breathing had steadied out but he was still shaking like a leaf and resistant to get back into the car.

'OK, Jay you drive back with Safia and then me and Liam will walk the rest of the way, it shouldn't take too long so we should only be five minutes behind you'  
'Why don't I leave the car here for now and we can all walk?' He suggested as he took Safia's pram out of the boot and unfolded it 'I could do with the fresh air'

The four of the walked home slowly, not wanting to rush Liam too much as he still wasn't completely calm yet. As Jay opened to door to the house and they all piled in, he silently thanked God that they were all home safely.

'Liam, why don't you go and have a lie down for a while and I'll bring you up some water' Ruth made this seem like an offer but he was getting little choice so of he went upstairs 'When I come back down, we really need to talk about a lot of things Jay'

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	22. Chapter 22

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy! am looking to wrap this up in the next few chapters so it's starting to come to a close but I might do a continuation but I haven't decided yet... Also just a small warning, there is nothing too awful but there are some sensitive issues in this part.

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Chapter Twenty-Two 

After a while of sitting upstairs checking on both Liam and Safia and ensuring that they were both ok. Liam took a while to calm fully but once he was, he was exhausted but Ruth stayed with him until he drifted off to sleep, thinking of what she was going to say to Jay. They had tried to have this conversation several times before, which usually ended in both of them resolving that they loved each other and that they couldn't bear to be parted from each other but Ruth was now seriously considering if that was the best for both of them. She made her way downstairs with a solemn look upon her face, in two minds of what she wanted to say.

'Hey do you want a beer or something?' Jay offered, jumping up from the sofa to be met with a shaking head from Ruth 'Ok well then how did the doctors go?'  
'My GP wasn't available so it was a locum. It was Toby' Jay looked at her with a worrying look firmly on his face, thinking that Toby can be so much of a soft touch that he wouldn't have actually told Ruth if she was depressed for a fear of upsetting her!  
'Well that must have been awkward, what did he say?' He pried further  
'It actually wasn't, I quite liked the fact that it was a friend who I was opening up to, it made it easier in a strange sort of way, anyway he prescribed an SSRI to help with my moods and referred me for interpersonal counselling to help with some stuff from the past. He had really grown into his new job, the office setting is much better for him' She realised that Jay probably couldn't care about Toby's new career at this moment but she had to say something to avoid blurting out what she really felt.  
'We should have stopped at the chemist on the way back, you should have said in the car'  
'I completely forgot, with all of the drama of today it sort of took my mind of it all, talking to someone really helped too' Jay's face fell when she said that, he looked like a lost puppy  
'Do you...do you not feel like you can talk to me? Ruth, babe, I am here for you whenever you need me, you know that right?' She nodded at him and smiled knowing that he only meant well  
'Actually Jay we really do need to talk just now. Before you say anything just listen ok. I know how hard you have been trying with Liam and how you have treated him like he is family but he doesn't feel like he is part of this, part of us. It kills me to see him like that, all I have ever wanted was for him to have a better life that I had but I would hate for him to feel as though he wasn't love, I know how that feels and its awful' Jay looked at he shocked, obviously hurt of this revelation  
'I had no idea...If I'm honest it was difficult to start with, I wasn't really used to kids. I know that my sister has her little monster but it wasn't as if I was her dad or expected to be but with Liam it was completely different' Ruth's face completely change to almost a look of anger  
'What do you mean? I never said that I expected you to be a dad to Liam, I think we are both more than aware that he is my son!' She couldn't believe that he had just said that, that was never the sort of person that she though he was  
'No, no, no, I never meant it like that. I have felt like Liam has become a son to me and I would never change that, what I was trying to say was that I was new to the whole parenting thing'  
'So was I Jay, I had never looked after him before he was with me for 2 days then I didn't see him for 12 years! By giving birth, that doesn't mean that I instantly know how to look after him' Her eyes were welling up with the thought of what had happened 13 years prior  
'Ruth, why won't you talk to me about it, it cannot have been easy for you to hand over your baby to your Aunt and never see him again, it's not good for you to keep all of that in' He sat down beside her on the sofa and wrapped his arms around her 'come on babe, don't cry'  
'I don't talk about it because it gives me nightmares Jay, every time I close my eyes to this day I picture it, I feel it. Just thinking about it makes me feel physically sick, the thought of him being allowed in a classroom still, around kids it makes me want to lock myself away' the tension in the air was palpable, it killed Jay to have to hear her talking like this but have happened to her at such a young age was a huge part of who she was, it made her the way she is  
'What do you mean allowed in a classroom?' Jay's voice got stuck in his throat as he was speak, unsure of how to react 'I thought it was a drug dealer?'  
'It was a drug dealing teacher at my school, he was Jonathan's supplier he gave the drugs to him to sell on but once he didn't sell them he took them and he own him a lot of money, which he would never be able to pay back so instead he took me to him and told him he could do whatever he wanted with me, which he did' She stopped for a moment to compose herself, she had to get this out of her system 'He forced me into his car and drove to an abandoned car park and at first he just sat there as if he was thinking about something then suddenly he turned on me, jumping on top of me and forcing himself upon me. No matter how much I resisted and screamed and fought back he just wouldn't stop, it felt like it lasted forever. He kept me in his car for 5 hours whilst he went off somewhere before returning and driving me home' She began physically shaking before getting up and running out of the back door, where she violently vomited, Jay didn't really know how to respond so he just rubbed her back and fetched tissues and water for her.

He wanted to kill the man who had caused his wife so much pain, he wanted to ruin his life the way he had Ruth's, this animal had forced Ruth to become a shell of a person, unable to trust anybody, unable to accept love. He made her hate herself, loath herself and for that Jay wanted to hunt him down.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	23. Chapter 23

**Their Family**

Again I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this :) Your comments all make me so happy! As I said before this is coming to an end, so this chapter is seriously short... The epilogue will follow then that will be it!

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Chapter Twenty-Three 

Jay spent the entire night lying awake, seething about what had happened to Ruth when she was not more than a child herself, the thought of some animal touching her made his blood run cold and made him want to make him suffer. He could feel Ruth stirring beside him, obviously his constant moving around was disturbing her and after the day she had she really needed to sleep so he climbed out of bed and made his way to the door.

'Jay?' She mumbled, half asleep still  
'Go back to sleep babe, I'm just going to check of Safia' He whispered to her hoping she would drift back off. He wanted to just sit and watch his little girl sleep, make sure she was ok, make sure she was safe.  
'Jay, promise me something?' Ruth asked him as he once again attempted to get out of the door  
'Anything babe' Ruth was now sitting upright and had turned the bedside lamp on  
'That you won't let what... what I told you, interfere with us. It has already messed up so much of my life I would hate for him to have an effect on us too...' As she trailed off Jay closed the door again and sat himself on the bed beside her  
'Nothing will ever come between us, you are my wife and I love you and my family more than anything in the world and nothing you could ever say to me would change that. You guys are my world' He kissed her deeply before Ruth pulled away  
'You really mean that?' She almost sounded like a scared child afraid of rejection  
'I mean it with all my heart, I'll be back in a second I just have to check on Safia'  
'Why don't you bring her through here just for one night, I guess it won't do any harm' Ruth smiled at him as he bounced out of the room, he would walk over hot cold for that little angel who has no idea of how loved she is.

As the three of them settled into bed to actually sleep Jay couldn't help but feeling content, he was much more relaxed than earlier and this was most likely due to the presence of his family around him.

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Thanks for reading! Please comment, good or bad :)


	24. Epilogue

**Their Family**

Well this is it, the final part of what feels like a never ending fiction, the last chapter has a pretty rubbish ending but hopefully this should make up for it! A massive thank you to all who have read and taken the time to comment, they mean so much to me :)

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Epilogue

10 Years Later

Dr Ruth Faldren never thought she would see this day coming in a million years, she had never really been a family sort but now she had five wonderful children and a husband who she couldn't love anymore.

As she sat dressing he baby son, Jamshid or Jay for short, in a little tuxedo she had never been so proud as she was today, today was the day that her eldest son was getting married. As she sat thinking of the last 10 years she couldn't believe how much had changed.

Just after Safia was born, she and Jay had some problems which they had fortunately managed to overcome this once Ruth had plucked up the courage to confront the man who attacked her and went to the police. It emerged that she had not been the only girl who he had assaulted and is now serving life in prison, Ruth finally felt that she had the closure she needed to move on.

Then along came baby Jasmina when Safia was 3, as much as Ruth had loved being back at work she and Jay had decided they wanted a big family and if it had been up to Jay they would have had a whole football team. Jasmina had grown into quite a hyperactive 7 year old as much as Ruth hated to admit. She was a headstrong little girl like her mum but with her dad's eye for a practical joke which was never a good thing. Jas, as she liked to be called, started off like Safia as Jay's double but then developed her own individual way and in all honesty she looked more like Maryam, Jay's Nan, than anyone.

After going back to work again Ruth became a consultant in emergency medicine, much to her pride which put having any more children to the back of her mind for a while. The ambitious doctor could hardly believe that she was finally living her dream life and had her dream career at the same time.

When Jasmina was 2, Ruth fell pregnant again and nine months later gave birth to another beautiful baby girl who they chose to name Maryam, after Jay's Nan who had passed away the previous year, she does get called Mia though. She is a lot more like Ruth in personality, the quieter of the kids and is keen to keep herself to herself and seems to be quiet academic, although she is only 5 she is excelling at school due to her love of reading.

Once again as life was going back to normal, it was time for Liam to leave home and go off to University. He had chosen to follow in the footsteps of his mum and pursue a career in medicine. He graduated earlier this year and is now working as an F1 in Holby City hospital and is marrying is girlfriend from university, a fellow medical student, Grace.

The final addition to the Faldren family is the youngest member, baby Jamshid who made his first appearance 6 months ago and is the spitting image of his dad .

As she sat waiting to see her son on the biggest day of his life she couldn't help but be thankful for everything in her life and had became a firm believer in what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Sure there had been some bumps along the way in her life but looking at her 5 children together on a day like this, she could help but shed a tear.

'Hey babe don't cry this is a happy day!' His words were so true and all she could do was utter two words to him  
'Thank you'

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The End!

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